Cheteshwar Pujara’s wife, Puja, shared some striking insights in her book “The Diary Of A Cricketer’s Wife: A Very Unusual Memoir”, detailing her husband’s journey to becoming one of India’s most dependable Test cricketers.
While Pujara earned a reputation as the team’s “Mr. Dependable” in the longer format, his form declined in recent years, leading the selectors to explore younger options. Still, his unforgettable performances, particularly during the historic 2018-19 Test series in Australia, where India clinched their first-ever series win Down Under—remain etched in memory.
Interestingly, despite his heroics, there were discussions during that series about dropping Pujara from the team. Although he wasn’t meant to hear it, he accidentally overheard a phone conversation about it, which left him deeply unsettled.
Puja had to make considerable efforts to get her husband to open up about this episode, which she later included in her book. However, the couple consciously chose not to disclose the identity of the person who wanted Pujara dropped, to avoid sparking any controversy.
Pujara and His Wife Talk About Book Excerpt in NDTV Interview
In an exclusive conversation with NDTV, Cheteshwar Pujara and his wife discussed the much-talked-about excerpt from her book. Puja explained:
“The purpose of including that incident wasn’t to focus on the event itself, but to highlight how he remained composed, displayed strength, and didn’t let it impact him. The aim was never to blame or target anyone—it was purely to inspire others through his resilience.”
When asked if the individual mentioned in the incident is aware it was included in the book, Pujara responded, “I don’t think he knows about it.”
Puja added, “I don’t think anyone knows. It was meant to be just a brief reference, not something to be overly emphasized.”
Pujara clarified that the incident was not included in the book to expose anyone, which is why the individual’s name was deliberately left out.
“There’s a reason the name wasn’t mentioned. The aim wasn’t to expose anyone. I was hurt, but I chose to move on and focus on winning for India. During the historic Australia series, my focus was on helping the team. Even with a slight injury in the Melbourne Test, I was in good form, scored a century, and we won. My goal was to make history with Team India,” Pujara said.
He further added:
“A lot was going on during that time—my father was unwell, and I had many things running through my mind before the Sydney Test. But knowing that Puja was taking care of him gave me peace, which allowed me to concentrate on the game,” Pujara said.
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